FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine
Civil Aerospace Medical Institute

Report No: DOT/FAA/AM-09/5

Title and Subtitle: An Experiment to Evaluate Transfer of Low-Cost Simulator-Based Upset-Recovery Training

Report Date: March 2009

Authors: Rogers RO, Boquet A, Howell C, DeJohn C

Abstract: Many air transport training programs provide simulator-based upset-recovery instruction for company pilots. However, apparently no prior research exists to demonstrate that such training transfers to an airplane in flight. We report on two-phase FAA-funded research experiment to evaluate upset-recovery training transfer.

In two separate training/testing evolutions involving two different general aviation aircraft, participant pilots were trained using low-cost desktop flight simulation, then subjected to serious in-flight upsets in an aerobatic airplane. Their performance in upset-recovery maneuvering was compared with the performance of control group pilots who received no upset-recovery training. Data collected during both flight testing periods suggest that simulator-based training improves a pilot�s ability to recover an airplane from an upset. However, in the most important measure of upset maneuvering skills�minimizing altitude loss�trained pilots fell well short of the performance routinely achieveable by pilots experienced in all-attitude manuevering.

We summarize prior related research, describe the experiments, present and analyze data collected during both flight testing periods, and advance recommendations for future upset maneuvering training. Although we conducted flight testing in a general aviation airplane, our research has important implications for heavy aircraft upset-recovery trainers.

Key Words: Airplane Upset-Recovery Training, Low-Cost Flight Simulation, Training Transfer

No. of Pages: 18